Mustang fall in five

SIOUX CITY, IOWA – Taking the floor for one of a handful of Friday night matches, Morningside's women's volleyball team welcomed Dakota State to Allee Gym, setting the stage for one of the season's most memorable matches so far.  The Trojans ended up victorious in the meeting, setting the Mustangs back in five sets, 3-2.  

It was a bit of a roller coaster for the Mustangs and their fans, as Morningside fell behind early in set one, but fought to regain its footing in the set, falling by a margin of five points as set point registered on the scoreboard.

Set two was the opposite of one, with Morningside taking the early lead.  Dakota State came back, nipping at the heels of the Mustangs for the entirety of the set, with Morningside holding a narrow margin as the final point fell.

The Mustangs took control in set three, rattling off a series of five points early in the set.  The Trojans chipped away at Morningside's lead, closing the gap all along.  Another run for the home team would secure the win, but not before DSU made a last stand, making life less comfortable for Morningside's side of the gym.

It was set four when Dakota State reminded Morningside that it took three sets to win the match, going on its own five-point run to break open the match.  A subsequent five-point run to close out the set would hammer home the fact that the Trojans weren't going down without a fight.

And fight, the teams did.  Morningside took a small lead early, with DSU hanging around as if it was Morningside's younger sibling.  The Trojans then took six of the next seven points to give them the edge.  The Mustangs refocused and closed the gap, holding even with their competitors as late as 12-12.  It was the visitors that took that crucial two point lead in the abbreviated set, however, stopping Morningside's comeback hopes short of the goal.

Morningside's offense struck for 56 kills in the five-set match, averaging 11.2 kills per set.  Sydney Marlow was the top terminator for the Mustangs, with 18 kills, followed by Ryley Rolls, Meredith Hoffman, and Emerson Smith, each with 10.  

Sabrina Creason was on top of the assist column, with 31 assists, while Bridget Smith dished 20.

Morningside's defense was relatively quiet at the net, with just three team blocks.  Claire Wilson and Emerson Smith led those efforts, each collecting two block assists.

Payton Shoquist continued to be the bane of opposing offenses, scooping 26 would-be points for the opposition in the match.  Emerson Smith was on Shoquist's heels, digging 22 balls, and Marlow wrapped the double-digit diggers with 14.  

Morningside continues the Dakotas vein of its schedule, traveling to Dakota Wesleyan for a Sept. 18 match, with JV scheduled to start at 1:30 p.m. and varsity following at 3 p.m.